Bog Myrtle & Peat

Having noticed the cock partridges starting to get a little frisky a few days ago, it was quite alarming to find that the hens have also been feeling the first stirrings of spring. One or two of my small stock of hens has suddenly started to show missing feathers around the rump and lower back, and one in particular now has about a square inch of pink skin looking out. I thought I had more time, but it seems that the partridges need to be paired off as soon as possible.

Converting a broody run into a makeshift breeding pen, I have put the hen which has been damaged the worst with one of the cock birds so that she can get away from the others. It could be that she has gone out of the frying pan and into the fire and the cock bird will give her a far worse time than the other hens. If they don’t pair properly, he could end up killing her, so I’ve put the pen in a spot near the house so that I can keep an eye on them from the kitchen. If it looks like he’s starting to give her a hard time, I’ll take her out and give her some peace on her own. I’ll be up early tomorrow morning to make sure there’s no trouble.

This has come on me much earlier than I expected. It will be a couple of days before I’m able to provide all the birds with suitable accomodation (I will only have four pairs and a spare hen), but in the meantime this calls for extreme vigilance.